Okra Chips

There’s a grocery store in our area that I visit once, maybe twice, a year. It’s a special treat when I go because I’m a pretty frugal shopper and this store is most definitely high-end. It’s hard to even call it a grocery store really. It’s more like a deli with a bit of grocery around the outside edges. They have a wonderful bakery, very expensive meats, more cheese selections than I can count, and a fantastic prepared food section. It’s a food lover’s delight. But…it’s expensive!

One of the things I always buy when I go is a bag of their okra chips. It nearly kills me to pay what they charge for them, but they’re just so darned good I can’t resist. Or I couldn’t until the last two times I bought them. Both times they had a really bad off-taste. Like the oil they’d been cooked in had gone rancid. Yuck! It just broke my heart that my expensive treat went into the garbage bin.

So, instead of throwing away any more money I decided to try to make them myself. It couldn’t be that hard. Or could it? I searched the internet for recipes for okra chips and came up pretty much empty-handed. Most of the recipes I found were really for simple roasted okra. Which I do love, but roasted okra is still moist and tender. I wanted a crisp, tasty chip. Something that would crunch when I bit into it. Then, I found something that looked promising. A recipe for chili-lime okra chips. Okay…I don’t want the chili-lime part, but the chip…oh, yeah. I switched up the seasoning to suit myself and the result was so amazing! Just one word of warning…if you like okra, you won’t be able to stop munching on these.

Start by preheating your oven to 500 degrees.

Rinse the okra and slice each pod lengthwise.

Place the sliced okra in a large bowl with enough water to completely cover. Add the vinegar and mix well. Let stand for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

Drain and rinse the sliced okra. Pat dry with paper towels.

Place the prepared okra in a large bowl and drizzle over the olive oil. Sprinkle in the salt and garlic powder. Toss until all pods are coated evenly with the oil and seasonings. Keep in mind that whatever seasonings you use will be greatly amplified during the cooking process. There is a lot of shrinkage of the okra which really concentrates any added flavors.

Put the seasoned okra on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time.

After 20 minutes of cooking time, here’s what the okra will look like. Still tender but roasted. You can always stop here and serve it as a side dish if you like. For chips…keep going :-)

Remove from the oven and re-set the temperature to 170 degrees. When the oven has cooled to 170, return the pan to the oven and prop the door open. I used some metal tongs to hold it open just slightly. Continue to bake for 2-3 hours or until crisp. The final cooking time will depend on lots of factors – how small the okra is (smaller, young pods work best), how humid it is the day you’re cooking, etc. Try one after two hours and continue cooking if needed. I cooked mine for 3 hours this time, but sometimes it could take even 4 or more if it’s an especially humid day.

You can see how much shrinkage there is during the cooking process! That one pound of okra becomes just a handful of chips, but is it ever worth it! If you’re an okra lover, you’re going to really enjoy this recipe.

Be sure to let the chips cool completely before storing them. You can keep them in a sealed container for 2-3 days at room temperature.

Rinse the okra and slice each pod lengthwise. Place the sliced okra in a large bowl with enough water to completely cover. Add the vinegar and mix well. Let stand for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the sliced okra. Pat dry with paper towels.

Place the prepared okra in a large bowl and drizzle over the olive oil. Sprinkle in the salt and garlic powder. Toss until all pods are coated evenly with the oil and seasonings.

Put the seasoned okra on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time.

Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 170 degrees. When the oven has cooled to 170, return the pan to the oven and prop the door open. Continue to bake for 2-3 hours or until crisp. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 30 minutes.

May be stored at room temp for 2-3 days.

Notes

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Interesting, kind of roasted then dehydrated…makes a lot of sense. I’ve never been a huge fan of okra, my husband’s mother deep fried them, but that sort of takes away the advantage of eating vegetables…but I like this and will try it.

I tasted these for the first time today and I almost fell over! I am a big fan of raw okra. My dad would chase me out of his garden as a child saying who needs animals when they have a Ronda…. (ha ha) I noticed the dark green color which I noticed. ( I now following in Daddy’s footsteps and grow a garden and can) This means there was some cooking involved as okra turns dark green when cooked. Then the light flavor of raw okra. That says they are not cooked long. Now for the crisp, has to be dehydrated. You have managed to take all three things I observed and make it into a recipe!!! I thank you!!!!! My okra is just getting ready to harvest soon and I am afraid I have a new side dish for that fresh tomato sandwich…… Finally a chip I will eat!

Hi Susan – the cooking time will depend on many factors. One – how humid it is in your area the day you’re cooking; and two – how fresh the okra is. Fresher okra will have a higher moisture content requiring longer cooking time to dry. If you’re cooking the okra chips on a day with high humidity that will also add to the cooking time. I’d encourage you to give them another couple of hours and test them again.

Did you slice the okra just once per pod? I misread the recipe and sliced in three thin slice. It was a mess to wash and dry so I’m thinking only sliced in half may work better. Would love to know what others did.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I just tried some of these from my grocery store last night! They are, of course, gone! I loved them! I love okra, have since I was a kid and it doesn’t matter how it is prepared. But these are the BOMB! Thanks for the recipe. Will be trying this VERY soon! :-)

Debbie – just remember that the cooking time can vary greatly depending on how fresh the okra is, how humid the weather is, and many other things. Just keep cooking them until they get to the crispiness you like.